Cherry Blossom
by Kyuubi the Demon
Summary: Does Sakura love Naruto? Does Sasuke love Sakura? And, of course, Naruto loves Sakura. It's a love-triangle!
1. Chapter 1 Cherry Blossom Part I

Cherry Blossom

**Cherry Blossom **

**A NaruSaku Story**

**Part I**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters, and, yea. - **

Sakura walked through the village, looking around at the people. She was 21 now, and she had her own apartment. She had a good life, and she loved it. It was missing something though, but she could not tell what. Suddenly, a black figure came towards her.

"Hey, Naruto," Sakura said as the orange ninja dropped down.

"Hey, Sakura," he said back, brushing off dust from his suit. "What's up?" "Nothing much," Sakura said to him. "You?" Naruto smiled, and then said, "I've been training." "Oh really?" Sakura said. They started walking through the village and stopped at the ramen shop.

"Give me two bowls of ramen, old man!" Naruto shouted. "On me!" Sakura smiled. She knew Naruto absolutely _loved_ ramen, and she liked it as well.

When they got their ramen, Naruto got his chopsticks and gobbled his meal down. Sakura got her chopsticks as well, but she ate peacefully. "So, Sakura," Naruto started. "Yes?" Sakura stopped eating and looked at him.

"You know the Cherry Blossom Festival..?"

"Yes, what of it?"

"Well, I was wondering…" He hesitated.

"Wondering what?" Sakura asked, suddenly anxious.

"Would you like to go to the Cherry Blossom Festival with me?" Naruto blurted out.

"Oh, Naruto…" Sakura did not have a partner yet, but she was planning on going with Sasuke, but she had a place in her heart for Naruto…

"So, would you like to go?" Naruto asked again. Sakura looked at him with her beautiful emerald eyes shining. "Of course, Naruto," she said gently.

Suddenly, a loud whoop came from Naruto. "Yea!!" he exclaimed. Sakura looked at him with wide eyes. "Sorry, Sakura-chan," he apologized then sat down.

Sakura finally finished her first bowl of ramen when Naruto was on his third. "Geez," Naruto said. "Whatever takes you so long?" "I take my time, Naruto, unlike you," she teased. He shrugged then devoured the ramen. "Mmm, yummy." the orange ninja said. Sakura smiled and yelled out, "Hit me with another one!"

"Thanks again, old man!" Naruto yelled before heading out with Sakura.

"No problem!" the old man called out before closing the ramen shop.

"Oi, Sakura-chan," Naruto said on the way to their apartments. "What?" Sakura asked, her emerald eyes staring into Naruto's sapphire eyes.

"Well…"

"Well what?"

"Well, I was wondering…"

"Wondering what??" Sakura asked, getting impatient. "Well, why did you agree to be my partner for the festival?" Naruto asked, fidgeting. "Because...Naruto..You're my friend…" That was the best she could come up with. "Cool!" he said before they got to his apartment. "Bye, Sakura-chan!!" he called out. "Bye, Naruto!" Sakura said then headed off towards her apartment.

Sakura flopped down on the couch and sighed. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. _Wonder who that could be_, she thought then got up and walked towards the door. It was Sasuke.

"Sasuke!" _Sasuke!_ What was he doing here? "Sasuke…What are you doing here?" she asked. "Well, I decided to drop by. May I come in?" Sasuke asked. "S-sure…" Sakura said, stepping aside. Sasuke sat down on the couch and said, "So, how's life?" "Good, I guess…" Sakura said before sitting down opposite of him. "I was thinking, Sakura…" he said.

"Yes?" "Would you like to go to the Cherry Blossom Festival with me?" Sakura, wide-eyed, did not know what to say.


	2. Chapter 2: The Date

**Cherry Blossom**

**Chapter II**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters listed in this story.**

**Author's Note: Since somehow I messed up the chapters, I rewrote this part, because I don't have the correct file. But it's better than the last one, I guarantee.**

"So? Will you go to the Cherry Blossom Festival with me, Sakura?" Sasuke asked, slightly anxious.

"Sasuke-kun…" Sakura, of course, really liked him, but… "No, I'm sorry Sasuke-kun. I already have a partner."

"Who!" Sasuke yelled. She flinched. "Oh, sorry, um… Who's your partner, Sakura?"

"Na… ru… to," she said hesitantly.

"Oh…" Sasuke turned and stepped out the door.

"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura looked at him. "Where are you going?"

"Oh, just… home." He closed the door.

Next morning…  
There was a knock on Sakura's door.

"Hmm. Who could that be?" Sakura wondered, fixing her hair as she made her way to the front of her apartment.

Yep, everyone's favourite hyper-active knuckle-headed ninja: Naruto.

"Sakura-chan!" he said loudly.

"Naruto!" she yelled back, and laughed. "What are you doing here?"

He walked into the apartment, stretching. _Nice place, _he thought. "Well," he said, "since you and I are festival partners, I thought maybe we should spend the day together. We'd start out eating breakfast together, then training at noon, lunch at Ichiraku, train again. After that, at around six or seven, we could have dinner, any place you want. To top it all off, we can sit o a meadow and watch the stars. What do you think?"

Sakura smiled. "That sounds perfect, Naruto." She turned and entered the kitchen, the male following her. "So, what do you want for breakfast?"  
"Err... eggs, and... pancakes?"

"Got it. I'll make the scrambled eggs while you make the pancakes. The mix is in the pantry. And read the instructions!"

"But, Sakura-chan..." Sakura pressed her face to his chest, with a puppy-dog face on. "_Please?_" Naruto swallowed. He wanted to her kiss her, right here, right now. _No... I'll wait until tonight,_ he thought. "Uh, fine." Sakura chuckled and stepped away.

Naruto shrugged, grabbing the box. Fifteen minutes later, he was done with the batter.

"Only the batter is done!" Sakura said. Naruto raised his shoulders, grinning sheepishly. "Okay, I'll make the eggs _and _the pancakes." She grabbed the batter and began to make them.

Naruto watched her as she pranced about the kitchen, noting her graceful movements. She noticed this.

"What? You never seen anyone cook before?"

"Actually, no. Only the old man at Ichiraku."

She inhaled and bit her lip. "Oh, yeah."  
_

"Naruto! Naruto, slow down!" Sakura called after the orange ninja. "_Slow down!_"

"C'mon, Sakura-chan, you got to catch up!" Naruto told her, running towards the training grounds.


	3. Chapter 3: Training

**Cherry Blossom**

**Part III**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters listed in this story.**

**By the way: **Sorry about the super-late update, guys! If anyone's going to read this…

Sakura wiped the sweat that was dripping from her forehead. How could Naruto train this much and not be tired? _I'm so strong, like Shishou, yet he hasn't even broken a sweat,_ she thought. She smiled, shaking her head.

"Are you tired already?" Naruto called to her, up in a tree.

"Yes," Sakura said, "but the real question is, why aren't _you?_"

Naruto shrugged. "I guess I'm just full of stamina," he stated simply.

Sakura smirked. "Maybe," she said, straightening from her bent-over position. Concentrating her chakra to her feet, she stepped over to the tree Naruto was in, dashing up the bark and settling on the branch next to the one he was seated in. "But why not make this a little more aggressive? Chasing each other isn't going to do anything but teach us how to play hide-and-seek. Which, as a matter of fact, I already know."

The male ninja smiled for a moment. _A little more aggressive? Haha, that sounds… wrong._ Then he frowned. "But, I don't want to hurt you, Sakura-chan," he told her.

Sakura smiled wearily. "It's okay. I won't get hurt, I promise."

He shifted uncomfortably. "Okay…" he said, still worried. His eyes widened as he noticed Sakura smirk and lift her arm, forming a fist. He quickly jumped off the tree branch before she could hit him, sighing in relief.

Landing on the ground, he glanced around, wondering where Sakura had gone. She immediately appeared beside him, almost striking him on the shoulder, but missing, for Naruto had jumped out of the way. Smirking, she said, "You can't run forever, Naruto!"

_Where is that boy? _Sakura thought to herself, placing a hand on her hip, her eyebrows furrowing. She looked around her surroundings, but there was no sign of Naruto.

Naruto's perspective.

Naruto panted heavily, his back against a tree as he finally rested. _She's damn good at finding me, _he thought, impressed. He had managed to evade all her attacks so far, but running was starting to wear him out.

He wasn't running because he was scared — although, her power was a little intimidating — no. He was running because he knew she expected him to fight, but he didn't want to hurt her, but he still wanted to please her. Sighing, Naruto rubbed his eyes, conflicted.

"Naruto!" Sakura called out, for about the fifteenth time. "Naruto, where are you! Get out here!" She sighed, running a hand through her hair. _What the hell is wrong with him? Why is he running? _she wondered. _I should probably be quiet… that way he won't know where I am._

So, she jumped up onto a tree branch, quietly, and scanned the forest. _Hmm… _She moved onto another tree branch, and another branch, and another, until she finally spotted him. _Hah, _she smirked, and crouched, knowing he was unaware of her. Then, she leapt off the tree, "Haaaaaaahh!" she yelled as she plummeted towards Naruto. He looked up, eyes widening, and quickly — and narrowly — dodged her attack.

Sakura's fist struck the ground, the earth rippling from the force of her blow. Naruto panted, staring at her.

"Ha, I found you," she said, smiling. Sakura placed a hand on her waist, obviously pleased.

"Yeah, you did…" Naruto straightened, dusting some dirt off his pants.

Sakura's smirk faded after a moment, turning into a frown. "Naruto…" she started, walking to a nearby tree and leaning against it. "Can I speak to you seriously, for a moment?" She slid down the bark of the tree, so she was sitting on the ground.

"Eh?" Naruto said, raising an eyebrow, a little confused. He stepped over to sit next to the female. "What is it, Sakura-chan?"

"Naruto…" Sakura sighed, and then turned to face the boy. "Naruto, I want you to tell me why you won't actually fight with me. And I don't want to hear, 'because I don't want to hurt you,'" she explained, her eyebrows narrowing. "Why do you think you'll hurt me? I'm perfectly capable of defending myself, and I'm sure you're more than able to control yourself while you're training."

Naruto exhaled, looking down at his knees. He knew this subject would come up sooner or later. "Well… I think I _can _control myself, but ever since that thing happened, with the four-tails, and I injured you… I've always been scared that something like that might happen again. And I don't think I could forgive myself if I ever hurt you again."

"But Naruto, that's different. You —" she paused, her eyebrows narrowing again. "Wait, how did you know about that? I… I told you that Orochimaru hurt me."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Yamato-taichou told me."

"Oh…" Sakura rubbed her temples, sighing. "I wanted to spare your feelings." When he didn't reply, she continued, "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I… don't know, honestly," he muttered. "I guess I didn't want to trouble you anymore."

Sakura looked at him with pity. _Naruto… _She leaned closer to him, placed her hand on his right cheek and gave him a little kiss on his left cheek. Naruto turned a bright red. "Sa-sakura-chan… What was that—"

But Sakura was already up and running. "C'mon, Naruto! Time for lunch!" she called, waving him over. He was frozen for a moment before getting up and running after her. "Hey, wait up!"


	4. Chapter 4: Ichiraku

**Cherry Blossom**

**Part IV**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters listed in this story.**

"Miso ramen, please!" Sakura said to Teuchi.

"Same for me, old man!" Naruto told him, as the Ichiraku owner nodded and began to make them their meals.

The pink-haired sea-green-eyed ninja turned to him. "And this time," she said to Naruto, "it's on me."

"No! What kind of guy would I be if I let my date pay for the food? No, I'm paying," he insisted. Sakura was about to say otherwise when two steaming hot bowls of ramen were placed before them. "Looks great as always, old man!" the ninja said, taking a pair of chopsticks and pulling them apart perfectly. Sakura did the same.

"Itadakimasu!" they said in unison, digging into their food. Two or three minutes passed and Naruto started on his second bowl, while Sakura was barely halfway done with hers. Then the blonde ninja finished. Checking Gama-chan (his coin purse), he realised he only had enough money for those three bowls. _No more ramen for me… _he thought sadly as he put Gama-chan away in his jacket.

Sakura probably realised this, so she scooted her chair closer to his. "Look, narutomaki! Or, just naruto," she said all smiley. "Eh, Naruto?" She picked one up with her chopsticks, waving it in front of his eyes. "Open up!" He blushed slightly, separating his lips. Sakura popped the fish cake into his mouth.

Naruto swallowed it. "Th-thanks, Sakura-chan…" he said, as the pink of his cheeks began to fade away.

"Thanks for the food, old man!" Naruto called out as Sakura and him left Ichiraku (he ended up paying for the food, after a little arguing). They began walking away; the pinkette stepped closer to Naruto, their arms brushing against each other slightly.

Teuchi and his daughter, Ayame watched as they left. The old man turned around with a chuckle. "Those two just don't seem to realize they're meant to be." Ayame smiled. "Yeah."

**OOC:** Hey guys! Kyuubi here. Sorry this chapter was a little short. It's kind of like an interval, lol. I'm going to skip the next training scene, by the way. We'll pretend it happened.

Keep reading! And remember to review. 3


	5. Chapter 5: Stars

**Cherry Blossom**

**Part V**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters listed in this story.**

Cold water ran down Sakura's body, washing away all the sweat and grime she had accumulated when she was training with Naruto earlier. She felt so dirty, so of course she had to take a shower before their... date.

_Date._

She let the water soak away the soap, turning the shower knob all the way to the left to turn the water off. Stepping out of the shower, Sakura grabbed her cherry blossom pink towel and wrapped it around herself. She was just looking for some perfume when she heard a knock on her door.

Pulling the towel higher above her bust, the female walked to the front of her apartment, water dripping all over the place. Quickly looking in the mirror to see if she was decent, Sakura opened the door.

And she couldn't believe her eyes.

"Sas.. uke... kun?" There was the young Uchiha, standing before her, desperation in his eyes. "Sakura!" he cried, stepping through the entrance.

"What are you doing here, Sasuke-kun?" she questioned him, slowly stepping back.

"Sakura," he said, "I don't know how to say this, but... I like you. I mean, I _really,_ like you. I was devastated when I heard you were going with Naruto to the Cherry Blossom Festival, cause I really wanted to take you."

Sakura was only staring at him, wide-eyed. "When... when did this happen?"

Sasuke put a hand on the nearby table. "I don't know... It kind of just... happened. I know you that you like me," he looked at her, "and I never gave you a chance. You were always there for me, but I was just a jerk to you. And I started to think about the moments we've shared, and... We have a close bond, you know?"

He made his way closer to her, while the pinkette backed up until she was resting against the sofa. Sasuke leaned into her, his mouth by her neck. "I just..." he breathed. "I..." He put his left hand below the back of her head, and gently rubbed his lips against the crook of her neck.

"Sasuke.. kun..." He quietly shushed her, "Shh..." Sasuke placed his left hand on Sakura's bare, dripping thigh, and his right hand on her waist. Raising his head, he looked deep into the girl's sea-green eyes; she stared back. His lips grazed hers, and he softly kissed her. _This.. is... _her mind went blank, and she kissed him back hesitantly. But soon she got more passionate, putting her hands on either side of his face, her moist towel pressing against his chest and abdomen.

Gently, he leaned against Sakura, so her back was on the couch. Sasuke stroked her damp hair, kissing her tenderly at first, before getting fiercer. Sakura did the same. _Yes... _she thought, hands running through the boy's jet black hair wildly. _Yes, this is happening. I want this. I _need _this. _

Then, Sasuke reached for the girl's pink towel, unwrapping it slowly. And just as Sakura felt a breeze on her bare skin, her eyes shot open. _No... _As she pulled away, she said, "W-wait, stop, stop, stop." Sasuke looked at the girl beneath her, cloth still in hand. "What?"

"We shouldn't be doing this," she said, staring at him seriously.

"Why not?"

"Because. I just... I can't." Both of them stayed silent for a moment, before the kunoichi sat up, the male ninja sitting next to her. She looked over at him. "You should leave."

Sasuke stared at her for a long time. "...Alright." He stood up, and, rewrapping her towel, she followed him. "Look," he said again, "I'm sorry." He turned around before opening the door, and she just looked at him. "It's fine..." And he left.

* * *

_Shit, shit, shit. Gotta hurry, gotta hurry. _Sakura was racing around her apartment, grabbing things here and there. The whole situation with Sasuke had left her in a daze and without too much time to get ready — but she didn't want to think about that.

She was wearing a red dress, just barely covering her knees, with a thick white belt and crimson stilettos with two-inch heels. Her hair was brushed out and neat, ruby necklace on, maroon bracelet clasped tightly around her wrist. She adjusted her bra, push-up, to make her chest look slightly bigger. _And I smell great, _she thought cheerfully. She grabbed a white clutch purse, and heard a knock on the door. _That must be Naruto. _Taking a quick glance in the mirror again, Sakura opened the door.

"Hey, Sakura-cha—" Naruto stopped, eyes going wide. He was amazed by how stunning she looked — not that she didn't look amazing on a regular basis, but, the way she was all dolled up made her beauty stand out.

"W-what's wrong?" asked Sakura, eyes filling with worry. "Is there something on my face?" She placed a hand on her cheek.

"N-no!" Naruto waved his hands frantically. "It's just that you... you..." He tried to find the right words, but couldn't. "You look great," he said finally, with a sigh.

Sakura's cheeks warmed, and her face turned a pale pink. "Th-thanks, Naruto," she replied, smiling. A few moments of awkward silence passed before the kunoichi broke it. "So, um, where are we going for dinner?"

"O-oh! Right!" Naruto took her hand. "Let's go, gorgeous." Sakura blushed again at this, before she was pulled by the boy out the door and into town. It was a chilly night, and  
Naruto noticed Sakura shiver slightly. Luckily, he had worn his usual outfit, which meant he had his jacket with him. He took it off and draped it over the kunoichi's shoulders. She looked up at him with a smile.

Soon they reached the restaurant. It was a cute place, painted a fawn colour, and at the top the name of the restaurant was written in purple.

"Kakiden!" Sakura looked surprised. "Naruto, why would you bring me here?"

Naruto grinned. "I heard it was your favourite restaurant," he remarked.

"How'd you know?"

"That's not important," he said simply, then opened the door to the eatery. "After you, milady." She smiled and stepped inside, and Naruto followed after her.

"I've only been here like, three times," Sakura said as they approached the restaurant hostess.

"Hello," the hostess said. She looked at Naruto seductively, honey eyes glinting. She tucked a strand of her auburn hair behind her ear. "Do you two have reservations?" Naruto nodded and told her his name. "Right this way." She picked up a two menus and led them to a small table near the middle of the restaurant.

When they get there, Naruto slid Sakura's seat out for her. She sat, and then he did. The hostess set down the menus in front of Sakura, and when she did so for Naruto, her face got very close to his, her chest brushing slightly against his arm. She looked into his eyes and gave him a sly smile, then turned and walked away, Sakura glowering at her.

"Wow," Sakura remarked, flipping through the menu. "The food here is even more expensive than I remember."

Naruto's eyebrows furrowed. "Yeah..."

She looked up at him. "Are you sure you're going to be able to afford this?"

He looked up at her, too. "Yeah, yeah. Of course!" When Sakura looked away, he took a quick peek at Gama-chan. He groaned inwardly, and then put it away.

"Oh, Naruto," Sakura said, "here's your jacket." She pulled it off and handed it to him, and he took it. "Thanks," he said. Soon a young waitress came to their table, and they ordered their drinks and meals.

Much time passed, until there was only another couple there in the restaurant with them, and the lights were beginning to dim.

Sakura laughed. "And then _what _happened?" she asked.

"The dog ripped off my pants and ran off with them!" Naruto exclaimed. They both laughed again.

"Oh, God, Naruto," said Sakura, wiping a tear from her eye, "you've got to tell me more stories from when you were training with Jiraiya. You must have had quite the adventures."

"Haha, I definitely will," he replied with a smile.

"Hey, guys, the place is closing up," a man in a suit — presumably the manager — said. "You two need to get going."

Sakura apologised, "Oh, s-sorry." They stood up, and Naruto quickly placed the money on the table. They then left the eatery. The two of them were walking for a while before Sakura's feet began to hurt. "Oh, I think I twisted my ankle while we were training," she whimpered and removed her shoes. "How much further?"

"Oh, well, it's still kind of far..." Naruto looked down at Sakura's feet. "It's a place I used to go to when I was younger, at night." He looked up at the darkening sky, the sun scarcely visible over the horizon. "Here, I've got an idea."

"H-huh? What are you doing? Naruto!" Sakura shrieked as the ninja picked her up. He smirked and said, "Don't worry, beautiful! I'll get you there in no time." And he bounded off as the kunoichi screamed. But soon, she actually began to enjoy it.

"Here we are," said Naruto as his feet struck the ground. The breeze lightly blew at their faces. Sakura's eyes shined with delight, both because of the little "ride" she received, and the place they were at.

"Oh, Naruto..." Sakura breathed. She was released by him, and she stepped down. The moon shone full and bright high in the sky, casting its light and creating shadows, and the stars twinkled brilliantly. Dew clung to every blade of grass that was embedded into the dirt, the moon's light reflecting off it. They were in a clearing, surrounded by tall moist trees.

Naruto grinned, looking quite pleased with himself. "Well?" said he. "What do you think?"

Sakura swung around to face him. "What do I think? It looks amazing!" she exclaimed. Her sea-green eyes sparkled. "Thanks for bringing me here."

He blushed, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "It was really no problem, Sakura-chan," he told her. The two of them walked forward a little bit, finding a nice place to sit. And they bent down, sitting on the damp grass. Both of them sat with their legs bent up and arms propping them up for a while. They sat in silence, admiring the stars for a while.

"Look," said Sakura softly, pointing at a cluster of stars. "It's the symbol of the Leaf."

"Oh yeah!" Naruto smiled. "That's wicked."

Sakura smiled back, and then looked up at the sky again. Her eyes widened. "Look! A shooting star!" The two of them sat up to watch the marvel. "Make a wish," she murmured softly.

Naruto blinked, then looked over at Sakura, staring into her green eyes, which were still set on the sky. _I wish..._

"What was your wish?" Sakura asked, looking at him.

"W-what?" Naruto snapped out of it. "Oh, um. I can't tell you. If I do, it won't come true."

The kunoichi rolled her eyes. "Well, fine," she said. "I won't tell you mine, either." She stuck her tongue out at him. Then they both laughed, and lied down on the grass. Sakura snuggled closer to Naruto, which made him blush a little, but he put her arm around her. They were at peace, finally. They were happy... They just needed some more time before their wish came true.

* * *

The sky had become pitch black. Even the crickets had stopped chirping, and the only light visible was from the bright moon. Naruto yawned, beginning to feel a little tired. He looked over at the pink-haired teenager, whose eyelids were closed. She had a small smile on her face. _Wow... She looks gorgeous even when she's asleep, _he thought. He stared at her for a moment, admiring her beauty. Then lightly shook her by the shoulder. "Sakura-chan," he said quietly. "Sakura-chan, wake up. It's gotten late." He shook her a little more, and she finally stirred. "Mmm..."

Sakura rubbed her eyes sleepily. "N-naruto?" she said, squinting up at him.

"Yes, it's me, sweetie," he said softly, and as sweetly as possible. "I think it's time for you to go home."

"But I'm so tired..."

"Yes, I know. That's why you should go home and get some rest." Naruto slid his hand under her and lifted her up. "I'll take you; you seem too tired to walk." He stood, with Sakura in her arms. She mumbled softly, eyes half-closed and he walked forward. Then he jumped, heading towards the girl's house.

Naruto landed at Sakura's front door. He carefully opened the door, not bothering to close it behind him. He checked around a little before figuring out which door led to her bedroom. He turned the knob and entered. The ninja looked around. It was neat, tidy, unlike his; and the room smelled of flowers. Then he stepped towards the bed, and pulled back the red and white covers. He set her down gently, and pulled the blankets over up to her chin.

"Mmm..." Sakura mumbled again, eyes opening a little.

"Shh, shh," Naruto murmured. "Time for you to get some sleep." He slid his hand on her forehead, moving her hair out of the way, and gave her a little kiss. "Good night, beautiful."

* * *

Well, I hope you enjoyed it! I know it took a while, but it was much longer than the other chapters, so it was worth it, ne? I would hope so. Sorry for the bit of SasuSaku towards the beginning. xD It was needed~ But anyway, there's only one chapter left after this! Stay tuned. 3


	6. Chapter 6: Festival

**Cherry Blossom**

**Part VI**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters listed in this story.**

_Huh?_ Arms moved about. _Where am I? _The girl stirred, flailing around at the fabric. _Ugh! I can't get this off me. _More struggling, until finally, the girl struck out. The covers flew off the bed and landed on the wooden floor silently. Sakura sat up, gasping for air. Tossing her hair back, she began to regain her thoughts. _What? _she thought, giving her head a little scratch. _This can't be right. The last thing I remember is being on that meadow. _She paused. _Oh... Naruto must have brought me home._

She climbed out of bed, eyes still full of fatigue. She trudged along the floor, which was a bad idea; her feet became entangled with her blanket, and before she could regain balance, she had tripped and landed with her chin striking the floor. "Ow..." Sakura struggled up, rubbing her chin. "Stupid sheets." The kunoichi stood, careful not to fall again, and kicked at the covers with a quiet growl. Then she walked over to her closet, sliding the wooden door over to look at her wardrobe. Quickly, she undressed, tossing her pretty dress into the white laundry basket in the corner, and took out her usual, casual outfit, slipping into it.

Sliding the door closed again, she stepped over to her beige dresser, pulling out the first drawer. Sakura removed her necklace, carefully placing it into the drawer and closing it once more. Then she left to the bathroom, turning on the sink. She splashed water on her face, and turned the faucet off once more. She looked at herself in the mirror; she looked tired, very tired, and not in the mood to go outside. But, one thing motivated her: Naruto.

Sakura scurried out of the bathroom, pulled on her boots, and left her apartment. Golden sunlight greeted her, warming her cool skin. She covered her eyes from the rays, looking around at the villagers. No sign of him. She let her hand drop back down to her side. She glanced about one more time before heading off to the one place she was sure she would find him at: Ichiraku Ramen.

Naruto's Perspective.

The ninja ran a hand through his blonde hair, the other one in his pocket. He was on his way to get a bowl of his favourite food, ramen, but an idea suddenly struck his mind: why not spend what little money he had on his favourite person?

He rushed off in the direction of the Yamanaka Flower Shop, just barely missing bumping into people. Once he reached the store, he rushed in glancing around at all the different plants. Dammit, what kind does Sakura like!

Taking several steps forward, Naruto examined the different flowers. A lot of them were really very pretty, and others... unique. He figured he might as well get her some roses, but that seemed to cliché, to overdone... Didn't really seem as if it came from the _heart. _

Naruto glanced around at the few other people in the shop: an elderly man, a middle-aged woman who seemed sad, as if she was going to bring these flowers to a relative in the hospital, a couple, and a young man, only a few years older than himself, who was purchasing a bouquet. The man began walking towards the exit, until Naruto blocked his way.

"Hey, you!" he said.

The man's eyes searched around him. "Who, me?" he asked.

"Yes!" Naruto exclaimed. "What's your name?"

"Uh, Kado," he said. "_Who a_re you?"

Naruto shook his head. "That doesn't matter. Who are those flowers for?"

"Er, my girlfriend..."

The ninja's eyes lit up. "Yeah?" he answered. "How did you know what to get for her?"

Kado looked down at the bouquet of flowers in his hand. "Well, she loves daisies. She's always picking them and putting them in her hair. She also likes pink roses... Oh! And I got her blue flowers, too, because her favourite colour is blue."

Naruto nodded approvingly. "Right, right," he replied. "Thanks, Mister!" Kado watched him for a moment, eyebrow raised, then shrugged and left.

"Ino!"

The blonde kunoichi whipped around. "Oh, hey, Naruto," she said. "What's up?"

He shook his head. "Nevermind that!" he exclaimed. "Just get me a dozen red roses, with some cherry blossoms around the edge, and a circle of white tulips in the middle."

Ino raised an eyebrow. "Sounds fancy," she told him. Then she turned around, grabbed some roses, and went around gathering the flowers Naruto requested. She returned in a minute or so. "Perfect!" Naruto said, taking the bouquet from the kunoichi's hands.

"No problem," Ino replied as Naruto paid her. She leaned over the counter, laid her elbows on it, and put her head on hands. "So. Who are they for?" she asked, a sly smile on her face.

Naruto turned bright red. "Uhm. No one." He glanced around nervously before taking off.

Ino laughed. "I already know who they're for, Naruto!" she called after him. "Good luck with Sakura!"

Sakura's Perspective.

"He's not here?"

"Nope, sorry," Ayame said, shaking her head with a sorry smile on her face. "I haven't seen him around, which is unusual because Naruto would be here by now."

Teuchi nodded. "That's true," he said. "I wonder if something happened to him...?"

_Dear God, I hope not, _Sakura thought, shaking the thought from her head. "Well, thanks anyway. I'm going to go look for him. Bye!"

Sakura waved a farewell and left the restaurant. _Where could he be? _she wondered, wandering around aimlessly, not looking where she was going. Suddenly she crashed against another body and collapsed to the ground. "Hey, watch it!" she yelled, rubbing her head before looking up to see who it was.

"Oh, Sakura-chan!" Naruto exclaimed, and extended a hand for her. "I'm sorry, I was in a rush and I didn't see you there..."

She took his hand. "Oh, Naruto, hey," she said, getting up. "It's cool. It's kind of my fault, too." She looked at the bouquet in his hand. "Who are the flowers for?"

Naruto's eyes widened. "Uh, what?" He looked down. "Oh, these? They're nothing..." He shrugged, and thrust them out to her. "They're for you..."

Sakura looked at the flowers at took them. "Oh, thank you, Naruto," she murmured. "They're beautiful... And I love how you made my clan symbol on it!"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah, it was no problem, Sakura-chan..." He blushed. "Listen, do you want to go somewhere quiet, more private? I need to tell you something..." Sakura's eyes widened. "Uh, sure..."

The two of them headed in the direction of the training grounds, in silence. Sakura was worried. What did he want to talk about?

They settled by a tree. "Look, Sakura-chan, I like you. I mean, I _really, _like you," Naruto said, face dead-serious. "Actually, that's not true." Sakura's eyes narrowed. "I _love _you. Do... do you feel the same way?"

Sakura stayed quiet for a long time. "Naruto..."

He looked up. "Yes?"

She leaned towards him and planted a kiss right on his lips, their first one. "Yes, Naruto," she replied. "I love you, too."

His eyes widened, and he stood up. "Yes!" he exclaimed. "Yes, yes, yes! I _knew _this day would come!" Sakura gave him a weird look, so he bent down and pulled her up, too. He gave her another kiss, arms wrapped tight around her waist. Her eyes were wide, taken by surprise, but she closed them and kissed him back, hands on his face. Then they pulled away.

"Let's get ready for the Cherry Blossom Festival," Sakura said, and Naruto nodded.

* * *

Sakura was wearing a red kimono, with white circles and flowers all over it. Her hair was pulled up, and fringe was swept across to one side of the face. She had a white fan in hand, and she wandered around the village, looking at the decorations and stands and whatnot. The sky was full of stars, and there were paper lanterns were hanging everywhere. A smile was etched into her face. Suddenly she spotted Naruto, and her grin grew wider. "Naruto!" she called, waving her fan around. He looked at her, grinned, and ran over to her.

"Hey, Sakura-chan!" he said happily. "Do you like the festival so far?"

"Oh, yes, of course," she replied. "But it got about twenty times better once I saw you." They smiled at each other, then headed over to the centre of the event. They held each other, just as dozens of other couples were. Cherry blossom petals were thrown everywhere, landing on the people and on the ground. The two of them then looked in each other's eyes, flowers still dancing and floating down, and pressed their lips together, passion flowing through their soul.

Sasuke was nowhere to be found, but that didn't matter to Sakura — not anymore. She had Naruto, and he was all she needed.

* * *

I hope you liked it! I worked hard on it. :] That's the end. Don't worry, though; there's many more stories to come, so keep your eyes peeled!


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